Kamil's lips curled as he mocked, "I was wondering why we haven't heard words from your group. It appears the monkeys are giving you quite some trouble."
Salza chuckled, his tone sharp. "Why being hard all of a sudden? I heard a tribe of monkeys took over the Shaft Forest. I think they've distributed their troops to the surrounding area and should have rounded up the entire region by now, knowing how large they can be."
"Yeah, I heard the news myself. It was reported that their behavior was out of the ordinary, and there seems to be an unusual energy around them." Kamil nodded, concern etched on his face.
"Hmm, although it calls for attention, this has nothing to do with us considering the distance. The people around here can take care of the trouble themselves. Clear the blockade and destroy any obstructions. If the men aren't enough, just send the signal. Are you clear?" Salza's eyes gleamed with menace.
"Got it," Pezz replied hurriedly, mounting his horse before galloping away.
The Shai Region stood apart, a vast territory outside their jurisdiction. Salza and Kamil both knew they couldn't act recklessly here—many surrounding territories could rival or even suppress their city's force. Any interference could spark unnecessary conflict. The situation should be left to those closer, the powers surrounding Shai.
Kamil smirked, his tone laced with irony. "Hehe… seems the Shai Region will be busy with the monkey tribe. There's been a lot of peace in the region these days." His eyes followed Pezz as the warrior disappeared into the distance.
Though Kamil was intrigued by the monkeys' unusual behavior and the strange energy reported about them, he couldn't abandon his post. It wasn't yet a major event—at least not one that demanded their presence. For now, he would wait and watch, letting the surrounding territories handle the chaos.
___
Meanwhile…
The Sand-Scale Forest was still as busy as ever. It was very different compared to before as it was now filled with tall wooden structures rising in its clearings. At its heart lay the Dark Zone, infamous for its high death toll.
There, crouched on his knees, was a man observing a shimmering but unstable portal. Its glow flickered like a heartbeat, threatening to collapse yet stubbornly holding. His eyes were glowing a dense red, illuminating the surrounding darkness. He had four long fangs protruding from his mouth.
An evil smirk spread across his face as he turned from the portal to the figure standing silently behind him.
"Bane, you've worked really hard on this venture. Without you, this could have taken more months, possibly years. His Highness will surely reward you generously." the man said with ecstasy, clearly impressed by Bane's progress.
The figure called Bane lowered his head respectfully. "Your Highness, this little work of mine isn't worth your praises, not to mention His Lordship. This servant is grateful for all he has been entitled." His tone was clear, filled with perseverance.
The man chuckled. "Hehe, you are too conscientious." Rising to his feet, he added with authority, "Continue your work, and stay vigilant of those stupid ants. Their attacks are unpredictable."
Bane nodded silently, his expression unreadable.
This was no ordinary undertaking—his work in the Dark Zone was destined to be remembered as one of the greatest breakthroughs of the group he belonged. If he succeeded in stabilizing the turbulent energy of the portal and increasing its efficiency, his name would go down in history.
Portals were rare in the first place. They either opened naturally on their own or existed as treasures, requiring immense resources to activate them. But Bane was attempting something unheard of; to bring a self-created portal channel into existence.
The feat was staggering.
Many would be wide-mouthed if they learned someone had lived for more than two months inside the Dark Zone—a place feared for its death toll—and he was even considering continuing.
Who could possibly dare to survive there for so long?
___
The journey ahead stretched five days from Bland Town, and tidings of Sand-Scale City's victory had already spread across regions. Their triumph was no surprise—Sand-Scale was formidable—but what left many mouths wide open was the resilience of Bland Town.
Rumors soon followed; Bland Town had colluded with another force. Many expected such a revelation, yet it still astounded them. The death toll was massive, with Bland Town suffering the larger hit. Their forces were mostly composed of inferior cultivation bases and had been used as fodder against Sand-Scale's might. If not for their ally, they might have been annihilated even sooner.
Normally, when a territory declared war against another, they were left to fight alone. The targeted city in this case—Sand-Scale—could seek help from other territories, but those allies couldn't intervene directly. If the force they clung to was well-known and powerful, its mere presence would serve as a deterrent, discouraging others from pursuing reckless plans.
However, Sand-Scale City chose no ally and fought alone.
The relief for Sand-Scale City was that they now had two months to prepare for the next challenger, which would be announced a month after the battle ended.
Besides, it had come to everyone's notice that there were certain territories who had their slots for sale, and many powerful territories who had applied late used this means to get closer to challenge Sand-Scale—especially those who had felt they had a better chance of conquering the city.
The pressure on Sand-Scale City had increased a lot more, so much that even their victory had been like holding a fish with bare hands. The looming threat was still close.
An astonishing fact was that even if Sand-Scale City had eventually been defeated, the battle wouldn't have been entirely over, since the conqueror would have faced the flood of insane challengers. It would continue like that forever…
Anyways, the warriors continued their journey until it was dark. They set up their tents and rested for the day.
___
The Sand-Scale forces soon reached the place where the monkey tribe had set up their blockade. The path was almost unrecognizable, scarred by signs that a large battle had taken place.
Although the scout unit had been sent ahead to observe the front, they were closely followed by attack units a few hundred meters behind. The path was gradually cleared of rubble as rocky walls were moved aside.
Even though the way was clear for the moment, it was apparent that once their forces passed through, the monkey troops would storm the place again. Still, it wasn't their place to intervene. They couldn't simply storm the Honed-Monkey territory and neutralize their troops, since they didn't know their actual strength.
"Don't bother yourselves with these boulders. Just clear a feasible path—we don't want any delays," Kamil instructed firmly.
The army pressed on, clearing every blockade they encountered. After two days of effort, they had finally left the region behind.